Configuring PCS 7 Multi-User Project Editing Across ES Stations

Overview

SIMATIC PCS 7 multi-user engineering allows a team of automation engineers to develop a single process control project from separate Engineering Stations (ES) without corrupting the database or duplicating work. In a typical brownfield migration or a large greenfield plant, the project is stored on a central Engineering Server and accessed by 2-6 ES workstations over the plant LAN. Before PCS 7 V7.0 SP1 this configuration was considered unstable due to S7 program file locking, CFC/SFC chart locking, and S7 user administration issues. From V7.0 SP1 onward Siemens introduced dedicated multi-user features that make parallel editing practical for production engineering teams.

This reference covers the canonical PCS 7 multi-user workflow: shared project storage, ES-side configuration, the Typicals library approach used to avoid FC/FB regeneration conflicts, and the manual references for STEP 7 V5.4 multi-user configuration. It is written for commissioning engineers and PCS 7 project leads who need a defensible, repeatable procedure.

Prerequisites

• SIMATIC PCS 7 V7.0 SP1 or later (V7.1, V8.0, V8.1, V8.2, V9.0 supported; V9.0 uses TIA Portal but the multi-user concept carries over).
• STEP 7 V5.4 SPx installed on every ES (the SIMATIC Manager component is mandatory even on V9.0 mixed estates where legacy projects are still edited).
• Optional: CFC, SFC, S7-PLCSIM, S7-SCL authorization licenses per ES, or a floating license server.
• Identical PCS 7 option package set on every ES. Missing options (e.g., PCS 7 APL, Industry Library, PID Self-Tuner) cause opening a project to fail with "Software not installed" prompts.
• Windows XP SP3 with the same language locale (legacy V7.x installations), or Windows 7 SP1 / Windows Server 2008 R2 for V8.x, or Windows 10 LTSC / Server 2016 for V9.0.
• Plant LAN with 1 Gbit/s backbone and a dedicated VLAN for engineering traffic. WAN-based editing is not supported.
• Anti-virus exclusions for the project directory, the SIMATIC Manager working folder, and the S7proj tree.
• Domain or workgroup accounts consistent across all ES stations; mismatched Windows accounts generate Access denied on *.s7p and *.s7f files.

Multi-User Engineering Architecture in PCS 7

The PCS 7 multi-user model is built on the multi-project object in SIMATIC Manager. A multi-project bundles multiple sub-projects (typically one AS project, one OS project per server, plus a master data library). All sub-projects share a single storage location; PCS 7 coordinates compilation, cross-references, and OS download through this shared root.

All engineers read/write against the same UNC path. The first user to open a chart acquires a write lock at the file level; other users see the chart as read-only until the lock is released. This is the source of the "two engineers generated the same FC/FB" problem solved by the Typicals approach.

Configuring Shared Project Storage on the Engineering Server

1. Create a dedicated NTFS volume or folder on the ES server, for example D:\PCS7_Projects\. Do not use the system drive.
2. Share the folder with Change permissions for the engineering group (e.g., DOMAIN\PCS7_Engineers). Grant Full Control to the project administrator account only.
3. Disable Opportunistic Locking (oplock) on the SMB share for the project folder. On Windows Server, run fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 0 and configure File Server Resource Manager screen-off. For older Windows XP ES servers, edit the registry: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters\EnableOplocks = 0.
4. Add the project root, all *.s7p parents, the SIMATIC Manager working directory (%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Siemens\Automation on Vista+, or C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\My Documents\Siemens\Automation on XP) to the anti-virus real-time scan exclusion list. On-access scanning is the single most common cause of chart corruption.
5. Map a network drive identically on every ES, e.g., net use P: \\ES-SERVER\PCS7_Projects /persistent:yes. The drive letter must match across all stations; SIMATIC Manager stores absolute paths in the project file.
6. Open SIMATIC Manager once as administrator on each ES, choose File > Open > User Projects, and verify the multi-project opens. This populates the working directory cache.

Engineering Workstation Configuration

On each ES workstation, complete the following steps to make the shared multi-project behave as a local project.

1. Install PCS 7 with the same option set and the same SP level. Use the Setup.exe from the same media kit; mixing DVD and download images can yield DLL version mismatches (e.g., s7otbxdx.dll 5.4.x vs 5.5.x) that break CFC.
2. Apply the same hotfix rollup. Siemens released incremental hotfixes (HF7, HF8, ...) that must match across all ES to avoid the "Project is newer than installation" error.
3. Set SIMATIC Manager > Options > Customize > General > Working directory to a local path, not the network share. The working directory is for swap/temp files; placing it on the share can deadlock the SMB session.
4. Disable Windows Indexing Service on the project path. Indexer conflicts with the file lock mechanism and produces Sharing Violation errors on *.s7f files.
5. Configure the SIMATIC Logon Service with identical settings. From PCS 7 V8.0 onward, the Logon role-based access control list (ACL) is stored in SECURITY subfolder; inconsistent ACLs cause "You do not have permission to edit this chart" errors on some ES only.
6. Synchronize the workstation clock via NTP. PCS 7 uses file modification time to detect external changes; clock skew > 2 s will mark a chart as modified externally and force a reload prompt.

Version Requirements and Compatibility Matrix

The Typicals Library Workflow

The Typicals library is the canonical PCS 7 mechanism for letting multiple engineers contribute function blocks and function calls into a single AS program without colliding on the S7 source tree. A typical is a fully configured CFC or SFC chart with bound parameters, IO symbols, and OS picture references, stored as a reusable template.

1. Create the Typicals library. In SIMATIC Manager: File > New > Library. Name it Typicals.s7l and place it in the shared project root.
2. Build a typical once. In a development sub-project, create a CFC chart (e.g., Motor_3ph_DOL), wire APL blocks MOT_SPEED, MOT_SPED, and the associated OS faceplate. Test compile and download to a test AS.
3. Export the chart to the Typicals library. Right-click the CFC > Chart > Export to Typicals. The export stores a versioned copy of the chart, the S7 source, the WinCC picture, and the OS faceplate tag.
4. Each engineer works in their own local sub-project copy (or on a dedicated branch chart). They instantiate the typical and modify only the I/O wiring and instance parameters. The underlying FB/FC is the same across all instances.
5. Periodic merge. At an agreed cadence (typically once per shift or once per day), the lead engineer imports all updated typicals from the team folders back into the master project. Use Options > Typicals > Update Instances to propagate any FB signature changes.
6. Compile and download. From the master project only. Each engineer's local copy is not compiled, only edited.

Preventing FC/FB Generation Conflicts

When two engineers open the same S7 program container and both insert a CFC chart, the second insertion overwrites the chart instance counter and yields duplicate block numbers in the symbol table. Symptoms include compile error SF011 "Block number already assigned" and OS download warning W:3120 "Tag duplicate".

Enforce these rules across the team:

• Only one engineer owns the S7 program S7 Program(1) at a time. The OS and AS are separated by sub-project precisely so that OS engineers and AS engineers do not collide on the symbol table.
• Use CFC chart references instead of copying CFC charts. A chart reference points to the original chart in the library; the original can be updated centrally.
• Reserve block number ranges per engineer if you must work on the same program. In SIMATIC Manager, Options > Block Number Range: e.g., Engineer A uses FB 100-199, Engineer B uses FB 200-299.
• Disable auto-save on CFC charts if your version supports it. Auto-save re-acquires the write lock on every tick and can cause spurious Sharing Violation on the LAN.

STEP 7 V5.4 Multi-User Configuration Reference

The definitive Siemens reference is the manual "Configuring Hardware and Communication Connections with STEP 7 V5.4", chapter "Working with Multi-User Projects". This chapter documents the supported multi-user topology, the storage model, the role of the Global Library, and the supported concurrency model (one editor per chart, multiple readers). It also lists the unsupported operations: simultaneous HW Config edits, simultaneous NetPro edits, and simultaneous Symbol Table edits on the same S7 program.

For PCS 7 V7.x and V8.x, the equivalent chapter is in the manual "PCS 7 Engineering System Configuration", section "Multi-User Engineering". For PCS 7 V9.0 and later in TIA Portal, refer to the TIA Portal help under "Multi-user engineering" and the TIA Portal Multi-User Commissioning Manual.

Key citations from the STEP 7 V5.4 chapter:

• "Only one user at a time can edit a chart or a program. Other users can open the chart in read-only mode."
• "Multi-user projects must be stored on a file server that supports SMB file locking."
• "The S7 user administration is not designed for parallel modification. Apply the changes to the user administration on one ES only, then distribute."
• "A simultaneous rename of the S7 program name from two ES will lead to database corruption. Avoid this by SOP."

Verification and Commissioning Procedure

Before declaring the multi-user setup production-ready, run this checklist.

1. Open test multi-project from ES-01, ES-02, and ES-03 simultaneously. All three should see the same chart list and the same S7 program structure.
2. Lock test. Open a CFC chart on ES-01, then attempt to open the same chart on ES-02. ES-02 should open the chart in read-only with the message "Chart is being edited by <user>".
3. Save and reload. Modify a chart parameter on ES-01, save, close. On ES-02, press F5 (refresh). The new value should appear.
4. Typical instantiation. From the Typicals library, drop a Valve_ANA typical into a chart on ES-02. Verify that the FB instance number is unique and that the OS picture reference resolves.
5. Compile and download from ES-01 only. Verify that the S7 program downloads cleanly to the test AS and the OS downloads cleanly to the test OS server.
6. Backup test. Run the PCS 7 project archive (File > Archive) from the master project. Restore to a separate path and confirm open is error-free.
7. Antivirus verification. Open a chart, modify, save. Check the anti-virus log on the ES server: the *.s7f file modification timestamp should match the save time, with no repaired or quarantined entries.
8. Concurrent user test. With 4 ES logged in, have each engineer create a new CFC in their assigned block range, save, and re-open. Confirm no SF011 or E:4900 errors.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Engineering SOP Recommendations

Document the following in the project quality plan and the engineering kickoff meeting:

• Single master editor per S7 program. One engineer is named the program owner for the day; all block-numbering changes go through them.
• Daily merge window. All local edits merged into the master at a fixed time (e.g., 17:00). The master is archived immediately after.
• Chart references over chart copies. New code goes into a Typicals library, not a copy-paste of an existing chart.
• Block number range allocation. Publish a range table; update it in the team chat on every change.
• Read-only Friday. On the last working day of the week, the master is opened read-only, archived to the time-stamped backup volume, and not edited again until Monday morning.
• Test AS gate. Any change to a typical or a new FB must be downloaded to the test AS, exercised for 24 h, then promoted to production typicals.

Migration Note: From V7.x to TIA Portal V9.0

If you are planning to move an established multi-user PCS 7 V8.2 project into the TIA Portal V9.0 environment, the multi-user model changes. TIA Portal uses a server project on a TIA Portal multi-user server with a local local session per engineering station. Concurrent edits of the same chart are blocked at the server level, and merge is performed through the TIA Portal Compare & Merge editor. The Typicals library concept is preserved as Master Copies Library, but the export/import workflow is different and the FB signature is propagated automatically.

Recommended path:

1. Build a parallel TIA Portal project on a dedicated engineering subnet.
2. Use the PCS 7 Migration Tool to convert V8.2 multi-project to V9.0 single project, then re-attach OS sub-projects.
3. Validate the migrated project on the test AS for 7 days before decommissioning the V8.2 master.
4. Do not run V8.2 and V9.0 in parallel against the same production AS.

Summary

PCS 7 multi-user project editing is reliable from V7.0 SP1 onward when the team follows three rules: store the project on an SMB server with oplocks disabled, exclude the project path from real-time antivirus and indexing, and use the Typicals library to coordinate FC/FB generation. Direct chart-level collaboration is supported only as read-only access for non-owning engineers; the canonical collaboration primitive is the Typicals library export/import cycle. Treat the S7 program as a single-writer object and the AS-OS split as a multi-writer object, and the workflow scales to teams of six or more without database corruption.

Frequently Asked Questions